The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-07-13
FOUND GUILTY..
Jacob Sharp, Convicted of Brib-
ing New York Aldermen.
A Summarized Account Of the
Long Trial Before a Jury.

The long and exciting trial of Jacob Sharp
the millionaire President of the Broadway
Horse-car Co., on the charge of having
bribed New York Aldermen of the Board of
1884 to grant his company a charter, ended
in verdict of guilty. Sentence was de-
ferred by the Court. The New York Tribune
sums up the trial and its results as follows:
"Guilty of tie crime charged" This was
the verdict delivered last night, by the most
competent jury that Judge Barrett says ever
sat before him, in the case of Jacob Sharp,
charged with bribing and conspiring to bribe
an Alderman. When this trial started on
May IT, notwithstanding the fact that sew
eral of the Aldermen bribed by this defend
ant had been found guilty and are now in
the defence that such bribery was commit
ted by somebody, there were grave
doubts in the public mind that the cor
rupting influence could be directly traced
to Mr.. Sharp. Then the array of clever law
yers engaged for the defense strengthened the
idea that if there was any loophole offered by
the law, the defendant would certainly by
their aid be able to creep through it.
The opening and first days evidence for
the prosecution-which did not begin until
June IL, so great was the care in the selec-
tiOn of a jury-did little to shake this opinion,
as Assistant District Attorney Nicoll himself
stated that the prosecution had to rely almost
entirely on circumstantial evidence. But
gradually, link by link, the chain of evidence
which bound "Jake" Sharp to his fellows in
Sing Sing and in Canada was skilfully con:
nected, and a fairly clear case of guilt was
made out against him. But there was the
defense TO come, and no one l:new the sur
prises they had in store wherewith to con-
found the D.Strict-Attorney and convince, CT
at least to perpleI, the jury.
Mr.. Parsons, counsel for the defence, made
an opening speech of nearly five hours, and it
was disappointment to those who believed
that Sharp would escape, in that it was little
more than review of the evidence offered
adduce to clear the defendant was scarcely
alluded to, and the witnesses they called
were few and their evidence unimportant.'
Then yesterday morning Mr.. Stickney spoke
for three hours for the defense and his sum-
ming up of the case was rather q vindication
than a defense of the actions his client
was charged with. Colonel Fellows summed
for the people in speech of five hours dura-
tion, and Judge Barrett made clear and
carefully impartial charge to the jury which
lasted two hours.
When the jury went out to consider their
verdict the large crowd which filled every
corner of the courtroom, filed out also,
in the belief that a case of this inl-
portance would take long delibera-
ton. In the last trial of the bribed Alder
men-that of Cleary-the jury were out
seventeen hours, and in the case of McQuade
thirty-nine hours. In Mr.. Sharp's case the
jury came to a decision on the first ballot.
There was no difference of opinion among
them In just seventeen minutes from the
time the judge concluded his charge they
trooped back into the court room with
a verdict Of "guilty of the indictment
charged" Although the defence had lost
hope in their case several days ago, they ap-
peared to be cast down by the verdict, and
the defendant especially was completely dazed
by it.
Out of respect to his advanced age Sharp
is seventy years o.d) and feesle health the
jury added to their verdict recommends
tion to mercy But there were no demon
StrationS In the court room, either in SYM
pathy with this kindly recommendation or
at TIE general result of the trial
Judge Barrett remarked afterward that
this was far more important conviction in
respect to its influence on public morality
than even that of Tweed. The extreme pen
atty for such an offence as that OF which
Sharp is found guilty is fine of s., COO or ten
years in State prison, or both, but in this
case the jury's Recommendation to mercy
will have much weight in mitigating the
penalty Jaehne, the first of the Aldermen
tried for accepting bribe, was sentenced to
nine years and ten months; McQuade to
5000 fine and seven years i'm
pfttsonment; O'Neil had a lighter
Sentence, owing to his previous good
character: and in Cleary's case the
jury disagreed. Sharp's counsel will make q
motion for new trial, and after that the
District Attorney will continue his prosecu-
ton both of the bribers and the bribed, so
far as they can be reached.